“I think the culture was a big part of it, and I think that stems from Johnny’s era there — the way that they let Johnny and [others] act there,” Allen said. “They [could] do that and still win games because they had Johnny … and five offensive linemen playing in the NFL right now.

“A lot of people were riding off that, ‘I can do whatever the hell I want and win on Saturday.’ Everyone wasn’t in a straight line. Everyone was going this way, this way, this way. We had a ton of talent there. I think that, once you get all the right coaches there and get the vision right, you can do a lot of things.”

Allen’s comments seem to be an indictment of Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin, who brought Manziel and then Allen to College Station. Sumlin was a rising star when Manziel played for Texas A&M, constantly mentioned for higher-profile college jobs, but two 8-5 seasons and the departure of Allen and five-star freshman quarterback Kyle Murray have put him on the hot seat in 2016.

Kevin SumlinAP

Allen, a former five-star recruit with two years of eligibility left, transferred to Houston in January after throwing for 2,210 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions this year. Allen led the Aggies to a 5-0 record and wins over Arizona State, Mississippi State and Arkansas, before losing his job to Murray, who transferred to Oklahoma. Texas A&M faltered over the second half of the season, finishing 8-5.